Psalm 84:11

GOD’S WILL IS GOOD

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“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

The Apostle Paul says as we begin to think/live God’s way we’ll see for ourselves that God knows what He’s doing — whether we see it at the time or not! Psalm 84:11 says God withholds no good thing from those who walk with Him.

My wife and I have seen this time and again. An example took place back in 2001 when we were looking for a car. The following information is from my journal entry for October 22, 2001. The results that unfold below spring directly from God’s promise in Romans 8:28, that “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

  1. Decided to look into trading in [the] Miata (wasn’t selling) and our Van [1990 Dodge Caravan]. We saw a 2001 GMC King Cab (low miles) at the dealer. Looked at it. Came back two days later with [the] Van [and the] Miata, saw it [the King Cab] parked there. Parked Van/ Miata — and by the time we walked 200 feet [to the dealership], it was gone! Two people wanted it that morning! (It had been there for a month!)
  2. As we looked around, we discovered we could buy a new Dodge P.U. for less than the GMC! Would only give us $5000 trade on Miata. Decided to keep trying to sell it.
  3. Looked at Mustangs [in Salinas] on 10/16. Decided to get one if we could sell [the] Miata. Sold it 10/20… [The] car we wanted in Salinas had been there for 1 month. Called when [Miata] sold. Mustang was sold!
  4. Picked a white Mustang (2001) with options desired. It was being delivered to the dealer — and the driver totaled it! The first time our salesman (Chris) has seen this in 5 years.
  5. [I left a blank space in my Journal and wrote] What God has in mind will go here: 10/24: We are getting the car we originally wanted: silver with all the options (a couple backed out of the deal). Supposed to get it today. Wow! You are awesome LORD!! Best news of all: 0% financing for the life of the loan (5 yrs.)!

It took a while to see it, but God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect!

What have you been asking God for lately? How do you feel about His answer? Are you tired of waiting? God saves His best for those who leave the choice up to Him! As we choose to trust the Lord and wait for Him to work, we will eventually see that His plans are truly good: “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart…Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.” (Ps. 37:3,4,7).

TIME TO REMODEL?

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In Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 Solomon writes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build.”

Let’s consider briefly the statement “a time to tear down and a time to build.” Sometimes what exists must be destroyed then replaced. For instance, when my parents first moved to Alta Loma, CA there used to be an old stone house a mile or so down the hill from their place. This old shack was so cool, but very old, rickety, and dangerous to enter. A friend of mine and I used it as the backdrop for some simulated old west pictures we took on the front porch!

If you were go to where that old rock house once stood, you’d see that it is long gone — and in its place stands a new, modern, updated, much safer home.

Sometimes that’s how it is with our lives: We have to let something go in order to make room for something new. As I’m typing these words, lots of examples are coming to mind — but I sense the Lord saying to let Him apply the specifics to each of your lives. What He is (or will be) asking of you/us may be difficult, but let’s bear in mind the promise of Psalm 84:11: “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless [i.e. walk uprightly].”

God will supply the tools if we’re willing to do the work!

REAL SATISFACTION

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Brevity is a gift I’ve always admired — so much can be said in a few simple sentences by one endowed with such a gift. Jesus of course was THE master of brevity, the Beatitudes being a wonderful example!

I was reminded of this powerful truth when I came across Hudson Taylor’s succinct application of Jesus’ words found in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” Taylor (1832-1905) noted that: “The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will.”

Well, there it is: Believers are called to an uncompromising surrender of the will — period! All true followers of Christ eventually come to points of what might be called a crisis of the faith — an encounter with the Lord where we face a decision that must be made: “My will or His will be done.”

Should we choose a path other than the one the Lord has for us, the result will be “an unsatisfied life” — a life that lacks the confidence that we are safely abiding in the will of God; that we are in the center of His will, directed and protected by His very presence.

I’m sure some of you have been there; some are there as you read these lines. If this is you, the consolation for complete surrender is God’s unfailing promise: “…No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84:11.

SEXUAL PURITY

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The apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 6:13, 18-20, that “…The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

In the Bible, sexual immorality includes adultery, homosexuality, pre-marital sexual intercourse, incest, bestiality (sexual intercourse with an animal), (see Deuteronomy 22:20-21; see also Leviticus 18:1-30; 20:10-20). Jesus went even further by including our very thoughts: Looking at a woman with lustful intent is considered adultery from God’s perspective (Matthew 5:27-28). Much like our current culture, the Corinthian believers were surrounded with such sexual perversion and temptation that Paul urged them to marry instead of imitating their peers and living promiscuously:

“Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry [literally not to touch/cohabit with a woman]. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.” I Corinthians 7:1-2

As believers in Christ, Paul says to “…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

For those who choose to conform their lives to the pattern of Scripture, the promise is that
“The LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless [i.e. integrity and sincerity of purpose].” Psalm 84:11

Therefore, as God’s dearly loved children, “Let us purify ourselves…let us be blameless, pure, and set apart from sinners.” II Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 7:26

God’s gift of sex is to be enjoyed — and the only way to have that happen in the fullest measure is to follow God’s guidelines as presented in Scripture. They are actually quite clear when taken at face value!

So much can be said; so much has been written and spoken on this subject! From my perspective, here’s the bottom line:
• Be Spirit-led, not hormone-driven!
• God hard-wired us for sexual pleasure — but we must remain self-controlled; we must, simply, say “No!” when tempted to compromise, to venture beyond what might be called “parametered liberty.”
• With each victory comes more strength

THE BOTTOM LINE

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J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) noted that “The real secret of an unsatisfied life lies too often in an unsurrendered will.” Well, there it is: Believers are called to an uncompromising surrender of the will — period! All true followers of Christ eventually come to points of what might be called a crisis of the faith — an encounter with the Lord where we face a decision that must be made: “My will or His will be done.” Should we choose a path other than the one the Lord has for us the result will be “an unsatisfied life” — a life that lacks the confidence that we are safely abiding in the will of God; that we are in the center of His will, directed and protected by His very Presence.
I’m sure some of you have been there; some are there as you read these lines. If this is you, the consolation for complete surrender is God’s unfailing promise: “…No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)